Open House 2013

Once again it's that special time of year at the Lynden Pioneer Museum when the museum comes alive.

On Thursday, October 10, 6-9 p.m. it's the Open House.

The shops have clerks, the saloon has a bar keep, the barber shop has a barber.  The shops will be open.

The schoolhouse has pupils in the classroom.  There will be parlor games for the children too.

Bill Smith will be wood turning tops for the children and George Van Achte will be carving.

Our local Dairy Ambassadors will be giving out some dairy treats.

There are too many activities to list so you'll just have to bring the whole family and see for yourself.

Admission is FREE!

Coffee, lemonade and homemade cookies for a donation.

The Lynden Music Festival is providing music for the evening with the The Jaded Lovers, a country rock and roll band.

The gift shop will be open so the kids can come and make their Christmas list.

See you there!

Salish Bounty: Upcoming Presentation Dates

Don't miss the upcoming presentations! Local historians and and anthropologists will be sharing.

May 4th @ 1pm:

Traditional Native Food Gathering

By Warren King-George and Elizabeth Swanaset

May 11th @ 1pm:

Nooksack Place Names and Food Plants

By Allan Richardson adn George Adams

The story of Nooksack place names and food plants will be recounted in a slide presentation by anthropologist Allan Richardson. Accurate pronunciations and additional dialogue will be provided by George Adams, language specialist with the Nooksack Tribe and the only remaining fluent speaker of the Nooksack language.

Camas bulb

Bracken ferns

Wapato harvest

May 18th @ 1pm:

Pioneer Eating

By Janet Oakley

May 25th @ 1pm:

Hidden Museum Treasures

By Harriet Baskas

Most museums only have the space to display about 10 percent of their holdings. However, there are also political, artistic, environmental and historic reasons why museums don't show items. Journalist Harriet Baskas will present a fast-paced, photo-filled tour of Washington history through the stories of museum artifacts that are rarely – or never – shown to the public.

FEATURED THE MUSEUM'S VERY OWN 150 YEAR OLD PICKLE.

Try one of these Pacific Northwest seasonal recipes:

A Spring specialty:

Douglas Fir Sorbet

This spring treat is light and refreshing. Try experimenting with the recipe by

using rose petal, lemon verbena or lavender. You can add 1 quart of crushed fresh or frozen fruit to the recipe for a more fruity sorbet.

1 quart Douglas fir tips
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed

lemon juice

Heat the water and sugar in saucepan to boiling, drop in fir branches, stir, cover and remove from heat. Let steep for 30 minutes. Pass the syrup through a fine strainer. Stir in the lemon juice. Freeze in an ice cream maker.

 

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 4

 

For the Summer season try:

Salmon Wrapped in
Skunk Cabbage

Skunk cabbage leaves are also called Indian wax paper because they are used for drying and wrapping different foods. When they are used in cooking, they impart a sweet taste to the food. Wrapping salmon like this preserves the healing oils in the fish.

 

4 salmon steaks

4-6 skunk cabbage leaves

2 tablespoons wild onion bulb and leaves,

chopped, or 2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

You can find skunk cabbage leaves in swampy areas. Gather medium sized leaves

when they are still tender. Wash, and if the center of the leaf is rigid, let the leaves sit

in hot water to soften. Place a salmon steak in a skunk cabbage leaf. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little chopped wild onion or garlic. Fold the leaf around the salmon so

that it is completely covered. Use two leaves if necessary. Finish the rest of the

steaks and place them in a deep rectangular baking dish with a tight fitting lid. Place a

little water in the base of the pan. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 30

minutes or until the salmon is cooked. You can also cook the salmon wraps over coals

on a fire. Unwrap and discard the skunk cabbage leaf.

Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves: 4 - 8 depending on size of steaks

A special thanks to Humanities Washington for supporting this program!

See our Facebook page for more information. www.facebook.com/lyndenpioneermuseum

Salish Bounty

Currently showing SALISH BOUNTY!

When you look out your window, have you ever wondered what you can eat from your garden?

The Pacific Northwest is a treasure trove of native edible plants (and animals). Salish Bounty explores the many forms of food used by Native Americans before Europeans settled.

The exhibit also discusses the importance of tradition surrounding native foods and how those traditions changed with forced relocation and cultural changes.

The exhibit also looks at the local Nooksack people's and discusses their special traditions, unique to their community, and the changes forced upon them in the last 150 years.

This exhibit is a must see and has many treasures to view such (and smell). See a digging stick, salmon bar-b-queuing tools, gathering baskets and many other special items used for food eating, gathering and storage.

Special thank you to the Burke museum for Loaning us the exhibit and to Humanities Washington for sponsoring the exhibit.

Be sure to stay tuned for upcoming presenters and events that will tickle your tastebuds.